Downton Abbey: Season 5

My take on Downton Abbey season 5 through the viewpoint upstairs though the downstairs will have a presence. It all starts with an unexpected death. I do not own Downton Abbey.

Chapter One—January, 1924

"Sir Anthony Strallen is dead." Cora, Countess of Grantham cried when her husband announced it right before tea.

"Yes, I'm afraid the poor chap developed a heart condition, and it failed him this morning." Robert, Earl of Grantham replied calmly. "Dr. Clarkson told me this morning."

"He wasn't all that old." Cora sighed. "I know he had that bad arm, but really Robert, he could have lived longer."

"Now you see why I didn't want Edith marry him in the first place. Now she would have been a grieving widow." Robert tried once again to justify his actions four years before when his daughter Lady Edith Crawley wanted to marry Sir Anthony Strallan.

"I think he would have lived longer," Cora mumbled to herself.

It was no secret that after the infamous wedding that Sir Anthony left his poor bride at the altar, he became a recluse. Locksley house was

"I suppose young Andrew is now the baronet. I haven't seen him in years."

"Yes, he is coming from India with his two young children to take over the place. It had been arranged a month ago when they knew that Strallan didn't have much time. He's to arrive anytime."

"A doctor in India. I wonder how Dr. Clarkson is going to feel about that."

"That's another thing I want to talk to you about. Clarkson is thinking of retiring, and Sir Andrew Strallan agreed to take over some of the duties."

"What is this I heard that Dr. Clarkson is retiring?"

Cora and Robert turned to see Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham entering the room. The old matron sat down next to her daughter-in-law.

"Dr. Clarkson was thinking of slowing down before he retires fully." Robert clarifies himself.

"What is the world coming to when a good man like Doctor Clarkson is put into pasture?" Violet commented. "Now I hear that Sir Anthony Strallan has left this world."

"He died of Heart failure this morning. His brother Andrew is the new baronet."

"Oh Andrew Strallan, he hasn't been in these parts since he graduated from University of Edinburgh."

"He lived in India as a physician. I don't think he planned to come back to England."

"Handsome young man, he was much more than Anthony. Is he married?"

"He is actually a widower with two children, a boy and a girl."

"It would be nice to see some children in that house. It was rather gloomy looking since that incident." Violet sighed. "Another suitable man in the neighborhood, and he is only over forty. He was quite a bit younger than his brother and sister. Though poor Lady Strallan never got a chance to recover from his birth."

"I never met Sir Anthony's mother."

"That's because she died almost ten years before you married Robert. It was quite a surprise when Lady Strallan announced that she was pregnant with her third child. She was forty-three at the time. The boy was rather large, and Lady Strallan's health was never good to begin with." Violet tried to shake the memory that reminded of her own granddaughter's death. "Andrew was a pageboy at your wedding Robert."

"Yes, couldn't keep still," Robert laughed. "Anthony was beside himself over his brother's behavior, but Sir Charles thought it was cute."

"He was a sweet boy." Cora reminisce.

"So when is this dreary funeral supposed to take place?" Violet said not looking forward to wearing black for a man she did not care for.

"Sir Andrew is already in England, and I believe he arrives today."

"Mrs. Chetwood is to greet him," Cora added.

"Where's Edith?" Violet looked around.

Nobody answered.

Sir Andrew Strallan, Baronet Strallan stepped off the train to a place that he hadn't seen in twenty years. He had only arrived in England three days ago having left his two children in the care of his late wife's sister in Hastings. He received the news of his brother's failing health at his house in Delhi about two months before. It took him that long to sell his property, pack his belongings, and move him and the children along with the few of their servants to another country.

It was a move he planned for nearly four years when he heard that Anthony foolishly left a young bride at the altar. He wrote to his brother that he was a total fool that he missed a chance of happiness and his young wife could provide him with children including an heir. It didn't help that Andrew found it was one of Lord Grantham's daughters that he jilted. Even in the wildness of India, the younger man knew the social embarrassment of breaking off an engagement to an earl's daughter.

So, Andrew resigned himself that a move to England was inevitable. He planned to move in the autumn when Joshua started Rugby, but his sister's telegram moved things along. So the family started their journey spending a rather lovely Christmas in Paris finally reaching Hastings on New Year's Day.

While in Paris, Sir Andrew and the children became friends with a British aristocrat Evelyn Napier, Viscount Branksome. He was going back to England because of his father's death. A nice, personable fellow, Andrew found he liked the man who was only three years younger than him. It turned out that Napier was friends with the Grantham family, and he promised to visit when they are both settled.

Anne Chetwood greeted her brother as he stepped off the train.

"What a fine business this is, Andrew." Mrs. Chetwood told her brother. "You come back to England after so many years, and now your brother is dead."

"Yes, it is." Andrew kissed his sister on the cheek.

"Well, you are still a handsome fellow, I must say." Mrs. Chetwood looked back to evaluate him. "India must have agreed with you."

"I have fond memories of it, yes." Andrew replied. "But I'm afraid Locksley is valued more than my home in Delhi, and Joshua is at the age where he needs to start school."

"I never understood why they don't build Public Schools in India like a Delhi Eaton or something."

"The missionaries have built schools, but I'm afraid they are for the natives. It seems that the British never want to raise their children in India. They want them to be educated as Englishman, but expect them move back there without any understanding what the country is really like."

"You still want Joshua to be educated at Rugby and Eton."

"His mother wanted him to be educated in Rugby and Eton. I would have him educated by the missionaries along with the locals. I feel that he may understand his country more."

"Well, here is Doctor Richard Clarkson to take us to Locksley."

Sir Andrew barely remembered the grey haired mustached figure from his early adulthood. Doctor Clarkson was only the hospital's doctor for five years before Sir Andrew's move to India. The older man shook the man's hand.

"I was the one who signed Sir Anthony's death certificate." Richard Clarkson told them. "I have a car waiting outside for us to drive to Locksley."

They all climbed into the car and drove off. Andrew can tell the village didn't change much except for the automobiles on the road and the lack of horse and wagon.

The ride was uneventful until Andrew spotted two well dressed women walking down the road towards Locksley. Dr. Clarkson stopped the car beside them.

"Lady Edith, Mrs. Crawley, are you heading towards Locksley?"

"You discovered our little secret, Dr. Clarkson," The older woman said with a smile. "We heard about poor Sir Anthony's death, and I thought Edith needed to say her goodbye in private."

"I understand Mrs. Crawley," Dr. Clarkson replied soberly. "I do have Sir Anthony's family here."

"Yes, you are Mrs. Chetwood." Isabel Crawley smiled at Annabel.

"That is right Mrs. Crawley, we met under very different circumstances," Mrs. Chetwood smiled back. "Lady Edith, it is so wonderful to see you again."

The younger woman could only nod. Her blue eyes fell upon Andrew. He wondered if she figured out that he was her former fiancé's brother and the new baronet. Most probably she thinks he was Anthony's nephew. There was a fifteen year age gap, but Andrew always seemed much younger and reckless than his prissy brother.

"You ladies shouldn't be walking," Dr. Clarkson looked at the overcast sky. "Why don't you both climb in the car?"

Lady Edith was about to refuse when Isabel spoke up.

"How very kind of you. I think we shall take your offer just this once."

Lady Edith did not look please at this arrangement, but the threat of rain proved too great for any shred of pride. She found herself in between Mrs. Chetwood and the strange man. Soon they were once again on their way.

"Lady Edith, it is so good to see you again especially since that awful day."

"Yes," Lady Edith clearly did not want to talk about that.

"I never forgave my brother for that foolishness. He didn't even have the decency to write her a letter to break off the engagement. Instead he breaks it off at the altar."

So this was Lady Edith Crawley, Andrew thought as he looked at the woman who clearly hasn't gotten over what his brother did. How could she? She was brimming with hope for the future, and then it all came crashing down. All because of his brother's insecurities.

"Oh Lady Edith, you never met my baby brother Andrew."

Andrew cringed at his sister's introduction. All his life he was reminded that he was more than a decade younger than his brother and sister. He was forty-three years old, and a father of two yet, he was still called baby brother by his sister.

"Lady Edith," he held out his hand which she shortly shook it. "I've heard much about you."

"How I was jilted at the altar, I suppose." Lady Edith bitterly said.

"Yes," Andrew was slightly taken aback by her venom. He remembered Lady Edith Crawley as a sweet, golden hair girl not this rather sad figure. "Lady Edith, that episode brought shame into our family."

"It did." Mrs. Chetwood said. "Insecure because he was only fifty and have a paralyzed arm. I've seen men without legs have more fulfilled lives than my stupid brother."

"I haven't been in England in over twenty years, but I still believe it's not right to speak ill of the dead."

"You weren't there Andrew. Our brother was a fool."

"Before we hurt Edith any further by this talk," Isabel calmly intercede. "We are at Locksley."

They all got out of the car, and Andrew looked at his old childhood home. It was a lovely house, not as large as Downton, but it was charming. They all went inside, and Andrew saw more than enough evidence of his brother's real love of art and culture. Sir Anthony may like to drive cars and would go shooting, but it was nothing compare to his love of French culture.

"It's rather feminine for a man who was widower for a long time," Isabel said looking around the elegant house. "Perhaps it's a monument to his late wife."

"Most of this stuff was mothers actually." Annabel told her. "Anthony worshipped her."

Andrew grew uncomfortable when his sister mentioned their mother. She had died giving her youngest child life, and his older brother never forgave him for that.

"His mother was a woman of taste then," Isabel was impressed.

"Yes, she was very beautiful and elegant. Even the Dowager Countess in her prime couldn't compete with her."

"I wish I was there," Isabel smiled trying to picture her friend going crazy over a rival.

"Can we see Sir Anthony?" Lady Edith asked in frustration.

"Of course my dear," Isabel compassionately said.

"He's upstairs in his room." Dr. Clarkson indicated upstairs.

"May I go with you, Lady Edith?" Sir Andrew offered his arm. "I doubt it would be pleasant."

Edith nodded taking his arm as they followed Dr. Clarkson. Andrew recognized all the servants who gathered to say goodbye to their employer as people who served since his father's time. It seemed Anthony kept everything in the past which didn't surprise Andrew. Anthony pictured himself the perfect English squire while Andrew felt stifled in England.

Andrew was not surprised when Stewart the old butler slipped a resignation letter from all the servants. They were all weary from taking care of the reclusive master. He nodded his head to the elderly man and continued to escort Lady Edith to his brother's deathbed.

They were both shocked at Anthony's appearance. Anthony was in his fifties but he looked like a man in his seventies. His skin pale from lack of sunlight. His face and body bloated from little exercise and too much wine and food. Edith burst into tears at the sight of the man she once hoped to be her husband.

Andrew steered the young woman away from the body. He held her for fifteen minutes this woman who should have been his sister-in-law. Andrew couldn't grieve like Lady Edith as he haven't seen his brother for two decades. He did grieve that he never was close to his brother. He wasn't sure his brother ever forgave him for something as simple as being born.

"I'm sorry, Sir Andrew," Lady Edith dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief after ten minutes of crying. "I shouldn't act this way."

"You should have been his widow. I know."

"I wouldn't let him deteriorate like that. He could still do much even with his arm." Edith shook her head. "It was just one useless arm. I knew men with worst war wounds who lead more fulfilled lives."

"Yes, I have seen Indian men produce fine craftsmanship with just one arm." Andrew replied. "I think the difference between them and my brother is that they wanted to survive. He didn't."

"He had my love."

"I think he loved you, but he wanted to be helpless. He was never secure. Our father was very hard on him because he was one that loved culture while father was just happy with a gun or new invention."

"I would have been happy here."

"I don't think so. This place was a mausoleum since he became a baronet. His wife suffocated here that is why she died." Andrew knew a darker secret about his brother and why his wife died without children. Still Lady Edith doesn't need to hear it.

"I hope we can become friends as I am to live here now." Andrew continued.

He was telling the truth. He always wanted to meet the girl who could have made Anthony happy. His first wife made him happy, but Andrew had a suspicion that it was only a superficial happiness.

"I don't think we can ever be friends." She simply said before running downstairs and out of the house.

Andrew could only go after her until he knew he couldn't catch her.